In The End It's Right
by Peridot Tears
Summary: A songfic in which someone dies. The song in it is Time of Your Life. Full summary inside. Warning: Death of character. The sequal to this is out!


_**PT: My second songfic. The song is Time of Your Life. I was just remembering all the good times in elementary school and remembered the Fifth Grade Graduation Slide Show. It had the songs These Are Days by 10,000 Maniacs and Time Of Your Life by Green Day. This is a sad fic and someone is going to die in here. No flames please. The sequal to this is out! Please read it!**_

_**Summary: What if Yamato hadn't blocked Naruto from Sasuke's attack in time? What if Sasuke had stabbed Naruto? This is the famous scene in which Naruto and Sakura saw Sasuke for the first time in Shippuuden and Sasuke attempts to kill Naruto right before the Kyuubi intervenes. **_

_Thoughts_

"Speech"

**_Song_**

**_

* * *

_**

Sasuke lifted his sword. It was strange that Naruto wasn't trying to stop him. After all, he had always bragged about staying alive and becoming Hokage. "I'm not going to die!" he used to yell proudly, "Because I'm gonna be the greatest Hokage someday!" He'd grin real wide, showing all his teeth...then spring into action.

It had been different when Naruto had tried to bring him back. It had been almost three years ago. When Sasuke had left for Orochimaru, Naruto had gone after him. He had tried to convince him with words, then by force. They had fought like not their own lives, but what they valued as well, were at stake. Sasuke fought, for he had believed that if he lost, he would never rest in peace. He had fought for what had haunted him for almost half his short life. He needed the power to kill Itachi, to avenge his clan. The only one who could give that to him was Orochimaru. Sasuke was willing to do anything for his ambition of killing Itachi. He needed the power. If he was brought back to Konoha, then all that power, which would be in his grasp, would be snatched away from him, just as his family had been. He would lose that one chance of killing Itachi, just as he had lost his mother, his father, his aunt, his uncle...and so many others who were precious to him. Naruto fought as if everyone precious to him, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, Iruka and so many others, would drop dead any moment if he didn't bring Sasuke back. When Sasuke and Naruto had fought, Naruto's whole intent had changed. No "I'm gonna be the greatest Hokage!" It was all "I will bring Sasuke back! That's my promise of a lifetime!"

Now, it was concluded. Becoming Hokage had been seconded to bringing Sasuke back. Naruto trained his mind into the heavens to be strong enough to bring Sasuke back. Everything had changed and all Naruto had left of Sasuke was a scar on his chest, photoes and the memories in his mind. It was all he had to cling onto. Being Hokage was Naruto's dream. Now, he hardly cared. Nothing mattered more than bringing Sasuke, his rival, his comrade, his _friend_, back.

_**Another turning point;  
a fork stuck in the road. **_

_**Time grabs you by the wrist;  
directs you where to go. **_

_**So make the best of this test  
and don't ask why. **_

_**It's not a question  
but a lesson learned in time.**_

Sasuke shook such things from his mind. How could he still feel for his Sakura and Naruto? They were nothing to him now. The only thing that would be use to him was the fact that killing Naruto will give Sasuke the Mangekyou Sharingan. _This is it. Goodbye... old friend..._

Sasuke let the sword fly.

Sakura charged toward Sasuke, eyes filling with tears. Her green eyes were fierce and in huge pain. Yamato was making some hand signs, hands flashing with their speed.

Sasuke caught a glimpse of Naruto's blue eyes and saw... They were filled with tears.

Images flashed through Sasuke's mind. He remembered seeing Naruto, when they were 5 years old. He remembered Sakura. At the time, she was still picked on for her large forehead. Suddenly, tears that had never been shed in a long time sprang to Sasuke's eyes. His onyx eyes lost their cold stare. Suddenly, he remembered all of them, in their younger days, when they all had their share of pain. When they had all cried out in their song of sadness. Once again those same eyes, jade green, cerulean and onyx, were weeping as one, whether it be different places or different situations, it was all the same now. It was the same place, same situation. Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto were one. Suddenly, Sasuke didn't want his friend dead. He wanted to stop his sword. He reacted in horror and the one person he had become with those most precious to him cried out.

"NO!"

Too late. The sword hit its target and Naruto fell, with a sickening thump.

Sakura hadn't reached the friends of her life in time. Just as her blond comreade fell, she was up next to him. She caught him as he fell.

Suddenly, that one person was torn into three. Sakura was sobbing. Sasuke had stopped crying, but his grief was beyond tears.

Naruto stared up at him, eyes glazed.

"Sasuke... Remember all the times we had together? It'll be alright."

_**It's something unpredictable  
but in the end it's right.  
I hope you had the time of your life**_

"No..." Sasuke's eyes weren't glaring now. He was trembling and staring at what he had done.

"Sasuke... Please return to the village..."

"I will." Sasuke promised. If Naruto was this willing, he will return to the village. Besides, Sasuke couldn't learn any more from Orochimaru now.

Speaking of the snake creep...

Sasuke turned to see a figure fading in the dim light. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Orochimaru.

He started for the creep. Then he heard a sob. He turned. If it hadn't been for Sakura and Naruto, Orochimaru would be writhing in pain on the ground, slowly dying because of Sasuke.

Sakura was still holding Naruto, tears streaming down her face. Her jade green eyes were glistening; her hands were trembling.

"Sakura..." Naruto gurgled.

Sakura stared at him. Her eyes were glazed in pain. Now that Sasuke was looking closely at her hands, he saw her hands surrounded by a faint trace of green light. Healing chakra. Sakura had become a true medic nin.

"I loved you and I still do..."

"Don't try to talk." Sakura's healing was useless now. Sasuke could see that. Naruto's neck wound was still bleeding. The bleeding was too hard and Naruto had lost a lot of blood.

"Sakura... Sasuke..." Naruto's eyes were starting to dull.

"Shut up dobe!" Sasuke was shaking. "Don't die on me now!"

Naruto caught his gaze, a sense of peace in his eyes.

"Don't forget..." he whispered.

**_So take the photographs_**_**  
**_**_and still frames in your mind._**__

**_Hang it on a shelf_**_**  
**_**_In good health and good time._**_**  
**_  
"No..." Sasuke clutched the back of his neck, feeling his Cursed Seal Of Heaven. He didn't know why. He felt for it... It was gone. How could it disappear? 

**_Tattoos of memories_**_**  
**_**_and dead skin on trial._**_**  
**_  
"You're dying now... It's all my fault..." Sasuke mumbled.

Naruto stared at him. "No," he whispered, "It was worth it. I got to know you and Sakura. I was saved from the dark. I was rescued from my loneliness and pain."

**_For what it's worth,_**_**  
**_**_it was worth all the while._**

Sasuke once again felt that feeling in his heart and memories flashed through his mind. Tears started to fall out of his eyes. He, Sakura and Naruto were the same now. He could finally see. It didn't make a difference who was sadder. It didn't matter that Sasuke had experienced more pain than Naruto and Sakura. They still had pain. They still found each other. They were one.

"Knowing that my lifetime promise has been fulfilled, I can die in peace now." Naruto smiled.

**_It's something unpredictable_**_**  
**_**_but in the end it's right._**_**  
**_**_I hope you had the time of your life._**

Sasuke stared at him. It felt as if a part of him were dying with Naruto now. Yet, he was right. The least Sasuke could do is return to Konoha. Knowing that, Naruto could leave in peace.

**_It's something unpredictable_**_**  
**_**_but in the end it's right._**_**  
**_**_I hope you had the time of your life._**

"Goodbye..." Naruto's eyes closed for the last time.

Who knew what he felt as he left his friends to mourn for him? All that Sasuke knew was that if only he didn't leave Konoha, everything would be okay. If only time could be changed. If only. So many if onlys.

Uzumaki Naruto left the world that day, leaving a distraught kunoichi and a guilty heir. If only things were different...

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Naruto opened his eyes. He found himself in the woods. He was standing there, just standing. He confusedly turned around and stared into the dense woods around him. It was dark everywhere.

_Huh? I'm supposed to be dead!_

"Naruto."

Naruto spun around. He gaped.

There, standing before him, was a battered man. He was obviously battle-worn. He had scratches all over him, not to mention cuts, bruises and a few scars. Yet what really got to him was his face. He had a mop of golden-blond hair and blue eyes. He wore a jounin's headband with a Konoha symbol on it.

The Yondaime Hokage was standing before him.

"I'm dead!" Naruto squeaked. He was dead! This must be the afterlife! Why else would the deceased Hokage stand before him?

"Yes." A woman stepped out from behind a tree. She had long red hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a headband as well, but it was inprinted with a symbol Naruto had never seen before. It was a spiral with carved ripples surrounding it.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto asked incredulously.

The two ninja exchanged a look.

"Well," the woman said slowly, "We're...your parents..."

Naruto felt like he was hit over the head with the blunt edge of a kunai. No way! The Yondaime Hokage was his father? His mother was a redhead from another village? For Naruto believed them. He didn't know why, but he just knew, at that moment, that they were speaking the truth.

"I'm Uzumaki Kushina," the redhead said.

"I'm Namikaze Minato," the Yondaime said.

Naruto looked from Kushina to Minato.

"What happened?" he gasped.

Minato glanced at Kushina.

"You died," he said, "You're in the shinigami's stomach."

Naruto stared at him for 5 seconds flat.

"NANI?!!?!?!?" he screeched.

"Well," Kushina said, "The seal Minato used to seal the Kyuubi in you needs the user to be sacrificed to die and lock themselves in combat in the shinigami's stomach forever."

It took Naruto five minutes to realize what she had been saying. He wasn't mad that Minato had sealed the Kyuubi in him. He could understnad that he probably had no choice. It didn't take a genius to figure it out. There was only one concern...

"Where am I going?" he asked.

"I'm taking you to heaven with me," Kushina said.

"I can't leave Minato behind!" Naruto was shocked. Was his mother suggesting that he leave his father to suffer?

Minato knelt down in front of him.

"I'll come join you someday," he said gently, "But not today."

"Really? How?" Naruto looked from Kushina to Minato.

"I'll tell you later." Kushina winked at him.

Minato stood up. "Time to go."

Kushina walked over to her son and placed a hand on his shoulder. She kissed Minato on the cheek.

"I'll see you again someday," she said.

"Someday," Minato echoed and patted Naruto on the back.

Kushina started to walk Naruto one way deeper into the woods. Only, now, it wasn't dark. There was a dazzling white light, leading to heaven. Naruto looked back cone last time and saw his father standing there, waving. Naruto stared. Then he winked and turned back. He knew taht things were going to be alright now. He didn't know how, he just knew. At least...he can know the parents he never had now. He walked into the light, Kushina's fingers gripping his shoulder tightly with fierce love.

**_It's something unpredictable_**_**  
**_**_but in the end it's right._**_**  
**_**_I hope you had the time of your life.

* * *

_**

_**PT: I hope you liked this. I think the end may have been a little rushed. Maybe. Please review! **_

_**P.S. I noticed I pulled Yamato and Sai out of this. Sorry.**_


End file.
